Moving-stairway broadcasting device



y 1951 M. VAN DER REIS 2,561,959

MOVING STAIRWAY BROADCASTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 4, 1949 AEPEAT/Mq ELEZrK/c' K'cORP Pun 5 INVENTOR.

E WM- ATTOK/VEX Patented July 24, 1 951 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE MOVING-STAIBWAY BROADCASTING DEVICE Maarten van der lteis, New York, N. Y. Application January 4, 1949, serial No. 69,219

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a moving-stairway broadcasting device.

More particularly, this invention relates to an improved moving-stairway of the type generallyknown by the trade-mark Escalator." It has been the general practice for stores, restaurants, banks, and other establishments to install moving-stairways in order to make it relatively easy for customers to reach different portions of their premises. In fact, one of the objects of installing moving-stairs is to induce persons to ride them and in this way induce them to visit portions of the premises which otherwise may not be visited.

This inventionparticularly proposes to combine a broadcasting device with a moving-stairway in an exceptionally attractive manner to increase the desire of patrons to use the moving-.

plication of the invention would be to have the broadcasting device enumerate the types and kinds of merchandise on the floor to which the moving-stairway is traveling. This arrangement is far superior to an elevator operator attempting to rattle offthe types and kinds of merchandise at each floor as the elevator pauses at the particular floor.

This invention has for a dominating object to mount dynamic loud speakers at certain strategic points along the moving-stairway and to operate these loud speakers with an automatic repeating adjustable volume electric record player. It is proposed that the loud speakers be mounted behind openings formed at spaced points along the interior side panels of the moving-stairway.

This invention particularly proposes to synchronize the broadcasting device with the moving-stairway in this manner. It is proposed to use a record for the record player which is of a length which will be consumed from start to finish in slightly less time than the time required by the moving-stairway to transport persons from one end to the other end thereof in order that persons traveling said moving-stairway will hear the entire record from said loud speakers.

1 Claim. (01. 179:1)

2 i It is an important object of this invention to mount the loud speakers along the interior side panels in order that they will be at advantageous positions for persons traveling the stairway to hear them. It is proposed to operate each loud speaker at a volume which is toned down as much as possible and yet sumcient to be heard by people with normal hearing as they travel from one loud speaker to another. ment the broadcasting device will not be heard by persons in the establishment standing but short distances from the moving-stairway. and

for this reason they will not be subjected to an-. .noyance by the broadcasting device. Another object of this invention is to so mount. thedynamic loud speakers upon the interior side;

panels that they do not project so that riders cannot possibly strike them and be hurt.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a device as described which is simple and durable and which may be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost. 7 e

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a. ma.-

terial partof this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a moving-stairway broadcasting device constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1, with side portions thereof broken away to disclose interior parts.

Fig. 3 is a schematic wiring diagram of the de vice.

The moving-stairway broadcasting device, in accordance with this invention, includes in combination a moving-stairway in having interior side panels II to the sides of the moving steps I! thereof which require a certain time to transport persons from one end to the other end thereof. One or more of the said interior side panels I I is formed with a plurality of openings 03 at spaced points along the length of the movingstairway. Dynamic loud speakers M are mounted behind said openings I3. An automatic repeating adjustable volume record player I! is connected with the loud speakers I by the electric circuit IS in order to operate each loud speaker ii at a. volume which is toned down as much as possible and yet suflicient to be heard by persons with normalhearing as they travel from one With this arrange-' loud speaker ll to another of said loud speakers I 4. A record I I is provided for said record player I! and said record I! is of a length which will be consumed from start to finish in slightly less time than said certain time required for said moving steps to move from end to end of the moving-stairway in order that persons traveling said moving-stairway will hear the entire record from start to finish as broadcast by said loud speakers M.

The loud speakers H are mounted upon the inner faces of the interior side panels II. The openings I3 are closed with porous materials 18,

such as cloth, which are held in position by holding rings I9 engaging over their edges and secured to the outer faces of the said interior side panels II.

The operation and use of the device may be understood from the following:

It is proposed that the record ll be provided with material which repeats and which people may listen to starting at any intermediate point. For example, the record I! may merely comprise a list of various items of merchandise for sale on the floor to which the moving-stairway discharges. The record II will be broadcast by the repeating electric record player 15 through the loud speakers 14. A person traveling the moving-stairway will naturally be in a position in between the interior side panels I I of the movingstairway. For this reason the person will be in a position to eifectively hear the loud speakers ll. These loud speakers I 4 are tuned down to a volume so that travelers on the moving-stairs may clearly hear the sounds from one loud speaker H to a position at which they can clearly hear the same sounds from an adjacent loud speaker I. With this arrangement the loud speakers Il may be toned down to a degree so that they will not be heard very far from the moving-stairway, yet the person on the movingstairway will clearly hear them.

It should be particularly noted that the broadcasting device, used in combination with the moving-stairway, does not add to the size not add materially to the weight of the stairway. It should further be noted that the flat rings I! do not project very far from the interior side panels ll so that riders cannot strike them and injure themselves.

loud speakers, said record player being adjust-' While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

In a broadcasting device for a moving-stairway or the like, the combination with a pair of stationary interior side panels located to the sides of the moving stairway,.one of said side panels having a plurality of openings at spaced points along the length of said moving-stairway, of dynamic loud speakers mounted on said one side panel in positions behind said openings, an automatic repeating adjustable volume electric record player electrically connected with said loud speakers in order to simultaneously operate said able in volume in order that the volume of said loud speakers may be toned down to a point just suflicient to be heard by people with normal hearing as they travel between said side panels, and said loud speakers being directed towards the other side panel in order to tend to confine the sounds from said loud speakers to the space between said side panels.

MAATEN VAN DER REIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,166,852 Myers Jan. 4, 1916 1,873,790 Salcedo Aug. 23, 1932 1,920,775 Whittaker Aug. 1, 1933 2,106,833 Eames l Feb. 1, 1938' 2,208,068 Blaski July 16, 1940 2,42 ,633 Rieber July 29, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 570,580 France May 3, 1924 

